Laser technology developed in Scotland is being used to help save tropical rainforests.

Edinburgh firm Ecometrica has used drones to map plant species beneath the tree canopy in Scottish woodland to work out where native species are under threat and non-native invasive ones are taking over.

Its Ecometrica Platform turns streams of observation data from space, air and land into information which businesses and governments can put to good use.

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That expertise gained in Scotland is now being used in the Forests 2020, a UK Space Agency programme to map destruction of tropical forests across the world.

One use is to map native plant species which are facing a growing threat from land use change, development and climate change. The initiative will help identify, for example, the spread and impact of invasive rhododendron in areas of Scotland.

Ecometrica said the data has value to users in Scotland such as Woodland Trust, which is interested in mapping remnant forest, the University of Edinburgh which can use the data for innovative research, and Scottish Orienteering, which is interested in high resolution digital terrain models in preparation for hosting the World Orienteering Championships in Edinburgh in 2022.

Sarah Middlemiss, space programme manager at Ecometrica, said “The talent and resources available in Scotland gives us the opportunity to use our own backyard as a test bed for technology that will play an important role in monitoring endangered tropical rainforests, and helping manage the resources we have to protect them.

Among its projects, Ecometrica spearheads Forests 2020, mapping deforestation in West Africa, Latin America and South East Asia. Thanks to advances in unmanned aerial vehicles and laser-based imaging system, detailed 3D maps that distinguish between plant species, unobstructed by other vegetation, can offer unique insights into the health of ecosystems.